REMEMBER WHEN - SPORTS MEDICAL ALERT - The Forward Pass is Made Legal to Cut Football Deaths in 1906

Forward Pass Made Legal to Cut Football Deaths - New York City January 12, 1906 Alarmed by the sharp rise in the number of deaths and injuries in College Football, representatives of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association have carried out a series of rule changes, including the legalization of the forward pass, and a neutral zone between offensive and defensive lines. In the past, mass plays where brute strength and great weight were determining factors led to crippling injuries as well as fatalities, so much so that many College Presidents have either banned the sport or threatened to do so. President Roosevelt encouraged the changes to make the game safer.